Oil Advice

[Archive]

OK, Now Ive heard about these oil wars that happen here.

My goal is not to start another!

I have about 29k on the Goat. Going to install a comp and bd3,

Don't want to bring it to the "monkeys" for periodic service.

Want to do it on my own. now I run Dino oil should I convert to synthetic? and what brand? Considering going to all ams oil.

What weight? Also differential oils / weight?

Any other suggestion's on routine maintenance would be greatly appreciated



Joe



I hope there will be none of :-{}

 

[pwr2tow]

I use Mobil 1 75-90 synthetic in both axles.

I use Mobil delvac 1, 5-40 in the crank case.

I use a synthetic power steering oil.



With that said, the only reason I use synthetic oils is because I live where temperatures get to -35 F. If I lived in a climate that stayed above zero I would only run the synthetic axle and power steering oil.



As long as your mineral based oil has a rateing of CH-4/SJ it doesn't really matter who's oil you run they are all good. Go with what your father went with.



Ron

 

[HC]

I'm a big fan of synthetics, but I'm not one of those people that thinks everyone should choose exactly what I have chosen. I've got over 120k on my 2001, and only a very mild injector upgrade (RV275's), and a lot of road miles. Amsoil 15W-40 and a bypass oil filter, with regular oil analysis is my choice.



For your situation, with much lower mileage per year and working towards more serious fueling enhancements, Delo and changes at 5k would be a very good choice. I think you could go synthetic too if you wanted to, but, for your situation I'd be more interested in relatively frequent changes. With your per-year mileage apparently at about 10k, you could probably even afford to change synthetic at 5k intervals to help you deal with your more Northern climate, but, this wouldn't be your "low cost" option!

 

[PBeaudoin]

Go synthetic all the way, less oil changes for a busy life schedule, also better MPG, less heat build up, premier oil to dino oils. Alot of people are not educated in it yet, however its been proven in auto racing, boat racing, and factory high performance cars for a long time now. And, its better then buying Iraqi oil, Isn't it?

Can't wait for Biodiesel to show up now.



I like running Ams*%#! personally 5w-30, and Mobil1 in all my generators, mowers, all gasser stuff (15w50 only)

I trust anything synthetic, honestly



Good luck with your choice.

 

[ProZack]

At 20k I changed to Amsoil 15w40 and installed an Oilgard bypass filter. The oil is staying very clean so far. Will change the full flow oil filter every 3300 miles and the bypass every 10k miles. Will do oil analysis at every filter change, till analysis says its time to change. Would like to get 20k miles between oil changes. I sugest you go to the internet and research oil, bypass filters and full flow filters. There is a big difference. Good luck.

 

[ProZack]

Oops, forgot to say the Amsoil is synthetic.

 

[Loren]

Joe,



I use synthetic also. Everywhere. For the engine, I waited until it was well broken in before I switched from petroleum oil.



Cummins specifies 15W-40 oil for the engine for a reason. This is one area where you really will become your own warranty station if you choose to ignore their recommendation.



The discussion at Cummins, from the TDR rally a few years back, was that 40 weight oil is required for proper lubrication when the oil is hot. Anything lighter than 15 weight (cold) will not stick to the cylinder walls and other vertical surfaces properly, and you will not have sufficient lubrication on engine start. They did not discuss the problems that would arise with oils heavier than 15 weight (cold).



You should use 15W-40 in the engine, no matter what type of oil you choose.



Loren

 

[AKDrifter]

Loren

I am using Delo 400, 5-40 synthetic. Are you saying that in the cold weather it is better to use a 15-40 synthetic instead? I know what Cummins recomends but the cold weather here in AK can mean a cold start up 6 months a year. I run this oil all year round.



Am I doing damage to my engine?

 

[BFC]

Delo 400 in the engine, every 5K with Stratapore filters.

Amsoil in the Diff and Auto transmission.



I'd rather spend 18$ on oil every 5K and be sure than spend the money on an oil analisys(I'll do one about once a year). ust my opinion.



Glenn

 

[illflem]

AKD, I ran Delo 400, 5w-40 from last Sept until July, at 20k analysis said it was still good to go. Viscosity was still where it was supposed to be. From what I understand a oil with a viscosity spread over 30 tends to deteriorate on the upper end. Your 40w might change to 30. This apparently wasn't the case with the Delo though. Keep on using it.



I'm fortunate enough to be able to plug in all the time and have a pan heater so switched back to Delo 15w-40. Still running the 5w-40 in my plow tractor that never gets plugged in, like the smooth start ups, just wish there was some snow to plow. So far only once this year and it melted in two days.

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

Lifting the valve cover tells the story

. . . that synthetics keep the innards much, much cleaner than dino oils.



I've seen the valve covers off of a couple engines lately that have had faithful 5K oil changes on Dino oil (Delo 400? not sure) and there was a noticeable amount of oily residue & deposits built on the rocker arms at 70,000 miles.



I then popped the cover off my 84,500 mile rig that has run 20,000 mile change intervals on Amsoil and Delvac 1 on stock filters and it looked like a brand new engine on its first oil change



For those cranking it out and creating a lot of soot, I think synthetics is the way to go to keep deposits in check, but I wouldn't run more than 10K if going without a bypass.



Vaughn

 

[Loren]

AKD,



No, I'm not going to tell you that you are damaging your engine because you run 5W40 in Alaska. I'm just repeating what the guys at Cummins said when people at the presentation asked about using different weight oils.



I would imagine that a lot of this depends on how your engine is run. If you start it every day, then having lighter weight oil that might run off the cylinder walls would be less of a problem than if you start it every month, which would give oil much more time to run off those surfaces. Also, I have no doubt that Alaska's climate would also have some impact on the oil of choice.



Back in the days before multi-weight oils, I would try to start my new 1967 Ford gasser after it had sat out all night in Indiana's winter weather. If it didn't catch on the first try, I was out of luck. Lighter oil would have been a real help. I'm sure that's the case in Alaska.



I dug out the Dodge service manual for my 2000 truck and have educated myself a bit. Here's what it says:



For temperatures above 10*F: 15W-40



For temperatures between 0*F and 30*F: 10W-30



For temperatures below 0*F: 10W-30 (with block heater)

For temperatures below 0*F: Synthetic 5W-30 (without block heater)



I notice that there is some allowable overlap between 10 and 30 degrees. I also notice that I am not complying with Dodge's recommendations when the temperatures here drop below 10*, which they have done once or twice this winter. It's so seldom, though, that I don't think I'm hurting my engine. I'm sure you feel the same way about your choice. You're probably right too.



Loren

 

[ROADWARRIOR]

Loren,



Not disagreeing with you, just stating what the guy at Cummins told me over the phone. He said as long as you stayed with a 40 weight oil, the lighter the cold weight (ex. 5W) the better. In fact, he told me that if I could find a 0W-40, to run that. He said that the lower the front number the lower the hydraulic pressure is, which the motor has to overcome. I wonder which guy is right?

I'm oil illiterate, just relaying the info I was told.



Dan

 

[Fireman]

I don't know either, but Valvoline has the Cummins Logo all over their CI-4 5w-40 synthetic.



Fireman

 

[Diesel Gunner]

You all see to be right at some point or another. HDMO (heavy duty motor oil) is made up of Base Oil and Additive packages. Yes, most oils are approved for use by engine manufacturers, SAE, API, and such. It is very important to make sure that the lubricant that you are using is the correct lubricant for your applicatiion. The primary advantages to using synthetic oils are oxidation stability and cold pumpability.



With that said, synthetic oil would be an advantage for all of you that live in cold climates. Is synthetic oil worthwhile for those who live in warmer climates? You must decide for yourself. There is so much information that can be had with regard to testing of lubricants that it can be confusing. I tend to have my faith in the companies that have been formulating lubricants for a long time and stay with their product once I am convinced.



We all have to make our own choices and live with them. What a country!

 

[AKDrifter]

Is changing from Delo 15-40 in summer to 5-40 in winter allright to do?



I don't feel the need to do this unless the 5-40 syn. is'nt doing the job in the heat.



I'm sending my oil sample in for analisis this week, along with a base sample. Then I'll know more. A waste of money you might ask, no, I think I need to do this to learn, also to have a paper trail for some one to follow if I ever sell. Paul

 

[Diesel Gunner]

Once again, this is where you have to make a decision based on the engine manufacturers recommendation. If the ambient temperatures that you experience are in the range recommended for the 5w-40, continue using it in the summer. If not, change to the 15w-40. I can see no problem changing between the two viscosity grades and staying with the same brand (Delo 400). In fact, it is advisable.



Keep in mind that the 5w-40 is still a 40 weight rated oil. The general consensus is to go with a grade higher viscosity when in doubt. This will increase operating temperature slightly, however the higher viscosity lubricant will be able to continue to offer protection at the slightly higher temperature.

 

[DocStressor]

Guys, any CI-4 rated 5W-40 oil can be run for up to 15K miles in a Cummins without regard to the season. There is no advantage to switching to 15W-40 in the summer unless you want to save a few bucks by using conventional oil for a few months. Cummins has not changed their viscosity recommendation over many years while engine oil technology has improved greatly. All 5W-40 oils are “synthetic”; based on either Group III hydrocracked base stocks or Group IV/V POA/ester formulations. There were no generally available 5W-40 oils available when Cummins first made their viscosity recommendations (except maybe Delvac 1). Engine manufactures have no motivation to test their engines with specific brands or grades of oil. The oil companies, on the other hand, have to show that their products pass specific performance tests in order to meet API rating requirements. Some of the most stringent test sequences are carried out with Cummins engines. I don’t know of any 5W-40 diesel oil that doesn’t exceed all of these engine tests. In other words, I would be inclined to follow the recommendations of the oil manufacturers rather than the engine manufacturers. These recommendations are also backed up by tons of used oil analysis data, some of which has been posted on the web at sites such as http://www.bobistheoilguy.com or the TDI site. Sooner or latter Cummins and the other HD diesel engine manufacturers are going to come around to recommending 5W-X oils.



If I lived in Alaska (even Haines), I would definitely run 5W-40 year round. I also wouldn’t worry about switching to a synthetic oil with less than 10K on the engine once temperatures get below 0 degrees. Cold starts without proper lubrication are much more likely to screw up the break in process than using synthetic oil too soon. Running an engine at -30 for 40 or more seconds without oil pressure is going to result in piston scuffing. At worst, using synthetic oil might prolong the break in process.

 

[Loren]

There were no generally available 5W-40 oils available when Cummins first made their viscosity recommendations (except maybe Delvac 1).

That's the best explanation of this minimum viscosity issue I've read yet. It makes good sense.



Maybe the Cummins guy who answered the question regarding the 15w-xx oil was trying to justify the specification by talking about oil runing off of vertical surfaces while the engine was shut down. That may not occur nearly as much as I originally thought. In fact, it may be a non-issue.



Thanks, Lee.



Loren

 

[AKDrifter]

Thanks Lee and others for the 5-40 input. I waited untill I put 21k on the engine before the switch. There were some cold starts unplugged, -5 -10 but I usually put the rig in gear and putted down the road and got her up to a moderate speed within a couple of minutes to build heat as suggested on this site. Paul